Criteria for harvesting

a) Skin colour: Loss of green colour in citrus and red colour in tomato.

b) Shape, size and flavour: Sweet corn is harvested at immature stage, smaller cobs marketed as baby corn. Okra and cow pea are harvested at mature stage (pre fiber stage). In chilli, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, cluster beans maturity is related to their size. Cabbage head and cauliflower curd are harvested before un pleasant flavour.

c) Abscission and firmness: Musk melon should be harvested at the formation of abscission layer. In cabbage and lettuce should be harvested at firmness stage.